Frosted and Mubtaahij will represent McLaughlin in Woodward

A little muck and mire after this morning's rain did not slow down Kiaran McLaughlin or his go-cart - which bears a striking resemblance to a lunar rover - as the 2008 Saratoga training titlist oversaw final preparations for Travers Day. McLaughlin will send out seven horses in six races on the 13-race program. Before providing a rundown of tomorrow's runners, however, he reported Godolphin Racing's Met Mile and Whitney winner Frosted and Essafinaat's Dubai World Cup runner-up Mubtaahij have both been green-lighted for next Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward Stakes.

Both 4-year-old colts worked four furlongs in 49 seconds Thursday - Frosted going over the all-weather surface at the Greentree Training Center, and Mubtaahij over the main track.

"Frosted worked great yesterday and came out of it great today," McLaughlin said. "The boss [Sheikh Mohammed] through [Godolphin racing manager] John Ferguson gave the okay for the Woodward. Mubtaahij also worked well and all systems are 'go' for him as well."

In race 3, Godolphin Racing's Grade 2 Futurity winner Annual Report makes his first start since finishing fifth in a sloppy running of the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club nine months ago. The $600,000 colt by Harlan's Holiday has worked six times over the main track and makes his 3-year-old debut in a first-level allowance at 6 ½ furlongs.

"We're ready to go," McLaughlin said. "We always think he's in need of another work or two, but in saying that's get him started. He just had some weird things that were no big deal, he just needed some time, came back and he's training great, he really does look good, but it's a tough race."

In race 6, Stonestreet Stables' Cavorting breaks from the outside against four other 4-year-old fillies in the Grade 1, $750,000 Personal Ensign at 1 1/8 miles. The daughter of Bernardini comes off victories in the Grade 2 Ruffian and Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, and she has won her three previous Saratoga starts - the Grade 2 Adirondack at 2, and the Test and Prioress at 3 - sprinting.

"I love the fact that Javier [Castellano] got her to settle and won the Ruffian, and then we were able to settle last time and win, so hopefully we can settle again," said McLaughlin. "I think a couple of them out of the five will show some pace and we should be laying hopefully third, fourth, fifth, and the key is two turns. We don't know about that. Hopefully that goes well; she's doing very well, but tough race, though.

After top-level discussions last week, Shadwell Stable's four-time Grade 2 winner Mohaymen was re-routed from the Grade 1 Travers to the $500,000 Ketel One King's Bishop, which goes as race 8 and begins a $1 million guaranteed All-Grade 1 Pick 4. The $2.2 million Tapit colt drew post 6 in a field of 13.

"He did draw well, doing great and the turnback should suit us with a ton of pace in the race," noted McLaughlin. "That's partially why we did it - the race shape, so hopefully he shows up and runs a big one. It would be huge if he were to win."

A race later, McLaughlin will run Shadwell's Tamarkuz and Godolphin's Marking in the Grade 1, $700,000 Priority One Jets Forego. The latter, beaten a head in the Belmont Sprint Championship last time out by subsequent A.G. Vanderbilt winner and Forego entrant A.P. Indian, has had his share of misadventures at the gate, so the trainer was thrilled that he drew the far outside post in the field of 12 older sprinters.

"Lovely - if we had to pay for that slot we would have paid because he's not in there long," McLaughlin said. "He flipped here and was scratched [from his scheduled debut] as a 3-year-old. Obviously, Joel [Rosario] has to work out a trip not blowing too much ground on the turn. But he's going great, we ran 44 feet further than A.P. Indian last time, and we're getting six pounds from him this time, so hopefully he's out there with us if we're wide."

McLaughlin added that Tamarkuz' seasonal debut in the Grade 1 Met Mile behind Frosted is a "throw-out race," and the $1 million earner trained very well since then.

In race 12, Godolphin's Sentiero Italia will take on the unbeaten Lady Eli in the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa.

Sentiero Italia won the Grade 2 Lake Placid and Grade 2 Sands Point last year, and the Medaglia d'Oro filly was a sharp allowance winner in her 4-year-old bow opening day.

"It's a great story that Lady Eli's back, for Chad Brown, the owner, his team, the vets, blacksmith, everybody," said McLaughlin. "What they've gone through to get her back to the races is a great story. Obviously we're trying to beat her, but it's great for her and our industry to have her back. But we're ready to go too and it should be a great race."

As well, Godolphin's Imperia stretches out to 1 3/8 miles in race 5, an allowance on the inner turf, and looks for his first victory since the 2014 renewal of the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes.

Source: NYRA Communications